Fantasy Glamour
by Hebi-Kazechi-10
Summary: What's not known to humans is that creatures of myth live among them; hiding themselves as it was part of regulations. Still, that didn't mean that it was peaceful within itself. One night, a dragon, Lien, stumbles upon a wounded, green-eyed fairy with scarlet wings among shattered glass. Fantasy!Human!AU; rated T for swearing and violence. Pairing: Vietnam x ?; several others.
1. Prologue: Glass Cage

**Heya guys! It's just lil' ol' me. XD**

**Anyway, this is a new story - I'm currently still writing the chapter of Shine! and this idea _really _needed to be let out. TT7TT but anyway, it's a more fantasy!AU where the Hetalia characters are creatures of fantasy, but they either live amongst humans or among their own realms in the magical dimension. :D**

**Not sure how many chapters it will be, but why don't we see? This is the first part - the prologue, but it'll quickly tie in with the second chapter. :) in our little prologue here, we see the deuteragonist. ;D**

**Happy reading~**

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The sound of roaring thunder deafened his ears right after the white flash that blared in his emerald eyes; effectively blinding him in the process. It hindered him for a moment, but still, it didn't deter how fast he continued to flitter his scarlet and gold wings. Panting, he didn't dare look back. No, if he did, he would have to risk looking at such a hideous face.

And that hideous face was the one responsible for all of his misfortunes tonight.

At first, it was just simply a night like every other at home in the peaceful realm of one of the kingdoms that constructed of fairies, which were hidden away safely in a place no human would think of ever searching. He was just moments before, speaking to his cousins Lovino and little Feliciano who still hadn't learnt to properly fly with his tiny, glistening wings yet. Cold dread rained down on him upon wondering how the youngster was – he certainly hoped that he wasn't caught.

For the one who invaded was terrifyingly quick to react.

What was scarier was that the intruder shrugged off the fairy magic as if it was nothing. The spells for the force fields and any incantation of illusion didn't work or had nary an effect on that beast. It moved right past only armed with a tightly woven net made of a strange rope-like material, a few empty bottles, and a menacing grin with the fangs jutted out.

That affable cackle was truly something that the fairy could never forget.

Still, it was baffling – nobody seemed to even notice that the creature was there. The monster seemed to be stalking and watching its prey through the camouflage of leaves, trees and the shadows of the deep, dark night. Even with the glowing light that the fairies provided, the beast couldn't even be viewed. The fairies, totally unaware of the danger as it entered their precious land, simply carried on with their business; their city bustling with joy and life.

It was during this that his father spoke to him. "Someday, my son," he said clearly. "You will be a great ruler of this kingdom. It is small, I know, but I am positive that you will make it big."

He remembered what he had said to him last: _"I'll do my best, papa!"_

And that was when his cousin Lovino swore up a storm when little Feliciano tried his hand at flying; which resulted in a mess that was created in the banquet hall. He remembered simply laughing along with his papa during that.

The sly predator had cleverly cloaked itself in their midst; becoming one with the shadows among them – practically now a dark ghost. They didn't see or hear it, as they had all carelessly fluttered about in their own merry little business.

And that's when it struck.

A glistening of raven black scales, eyes as red as a drop of fresh blood from a new wound, and fangs that snarled back to reflect the moonlight, with a flying swoosh faster than sound, the monster brought down its trusty net – immediately bagging several fairies at the same time.

The screaming and crying was something he could never forget, either.

His father had tried to take charge by ordering the guards and magicians to attack their invader, but it proved to be futile as the beast simply twisted its long, scaled body around and easily snatched them out of the air with powerful claws before suddenly thrusting them into empty glass bottles. Once it was done with the guards and magicians, it sped after the fairies that tried to flee as fast as they could to the top of the trees.

But alas, that proved to be just as in vain.

Gifted with the power of flight the creature was; it blasted right up into the night sky before snarling again - baring its sharp teeth before suddenly tackling the tree with such overwhelming power, it caused a bunch of them to fall right into open bottles. The ones still hiding up there only motivated it to fly up and attempt to snatch. The luckier ones hid right in thickets of small, pointy sticks among the thick branches and sharp thistles that prevented it from trying.

He wanted to stay behind and help, really. However, seeing as it was a hopeless battle against such a devastating opponent, his father had pushed him as he shouted, "Fly, Antonio, fly! Fly, my son! Get away from here! Go to the White City for there you'll be safe! Don't worry about me!"

And so led to now.

Antonio had attempted to fly up one of the trees, but upon seeing that the monster was far more clever and cunning than its monstrous appearance let on, he immediately tried to flee the scene. Other fairies also followed suit by scattering in several directions.

However, the beast had only laid eyes on him for just a brief second, before rushing towards him in the dead of night with a sinister snigger that made Antonio's blood run cold. He pushed himself to fly faster – faster than he could ever fly before, and that was quite a lot. He was always a fast flier; most especially amongst others of his kin, however tonight was probably the time that he had broken his previous records.

"I'm coming to get you…I'm coming to get you…I'm almost there…"

That cold and quiet voice chilled him to the bone. Antonio was tempted to look back, but he shook his head vigorously as he simply made a sharp turn around some large, heavyset oak trees as he flew left this time. Hearing a horrible smashing sound rip the air as well as a snarl, however he could still _feel _the monster's breathing…

…and right now, it was _angry_.

It only took Antonio a moment to realize that the beast had simply crashed right through the great tree upon hearing a low groan as well as a mighty crash that made the very earth tremble. Sweat riding down the sides of his head even more, the red-winged fairy flitted along the trees making a zigzagging pattern, hoping to somehow lose his chaser.

Hearing more crashing however, that definitely didn't seem to be the case…

Licking his lips, Antonio then made a sharp turn upward as he flew this time through the leaves of the trees like a bursting, red bullet.

Hearing more crashing rain down on his ears, the fairy's heart beat rapidly in his chest as he could hear snarls, growls and shrieks of pain and growing frustration that echoed throughout the night. Hearing it start to fade into the dark sky, Antonio kept flying more and more forward; his body now screaming at him to stop due to how exhausted he was becoming. His wings in particular were starting to ache, and the throbbing pain stretched on to his back.

He didn't stop his pace – not at all.

However, he _did _choose to look back this time.

Carefully, he peeked over his shoulder and saw what appeared to be a still and quiet night with the trees swaying softly along with the cool breeze that began to pick up. The only sound that he could hear were the rustling of leaves, and the whistling of the wind.

Funnily enough, the thunder and lightning that had both blinded and deafened him momentarily before were gone, too.

Sighing in relief, Antonio felt his heart immediately start to slow down to a normal pace as he continued to fly forward. He turned his head around to face the front…

"I've got you!"

Giving a shocked squeal, Antonio suddenly found himself encased in one of the glass bottles. He immediately tried to fly out, but that was when the huge claw slammed down a cork right at the top to seal the opening. Dread bubbling from within his stomach, Antonio immediately took a deep breath as he gazed up, frightened, as the creature sealed the bottle ever so tightly.

"Oh, you don't have to worry, my little winged friend," the beast murmured in its deep, and suddenly smooth voice. However, there was a strange kind of reverb that traced around that minor chord note that simply sent horrible chills to run down Antonio's spine and cause his knees to buckle.

Hearing a harsh popping sound from above, Antonio yelped as he leapt back, only for his wings and back to come in contact with the glass bottle's wall. The monster had used its horrid claws to scratch a few air holes into the cork above. Seeing the fairy's reaction, the creature simply gave a nasty, yet eerily good-natured chuckle, "This should keep you alive until I bring you home with the others…yes…" suddenly, it brought the bottle right up to its crimson eyes, causing Antonio to tremble.

"Why are you doing this?!" the red-winged fairy demanded as his heart picked up speed in such a rapid pace, that he was almost fearful that it was going to burst out of his chest. "What can you even gain from this?!"

The beast simply grinned its cruel fangs, "You will make me _very _rich…"

"M-money?" Antonio spluttered out in disbelief. "You…you want to sell us...?!"

"Was that notion not _obvious _from what I just uttered out?" the monster's fanged grin was still present on its face. Because the clouds began rolling in providing a darkened shadow to befall everything beneath it, Antonio could not see the creature's face at all.

It was as if it were hidden in the shadows.

"And you, you will sell quite a handsome price," the beast continued, now placing the glass right close to its burning blood red eye. Antonio shivered as it fixated right upon him; fear now taking hold. He knew he was no longer a child anymore, but still, he couldn't but be frightened – what with such a glaring, glowering, goggling thing surveying him up and down as if he were a piece of fresh meat. "Compared to your little friends, you'll sell for a _beautiful _price," it mumbled. This time, Antonio could've sworn he saw something that floated alongside its face, but he wasn't sure if it was a whisker or simply another tail, or maybe even some sort of thin tentacle.

'_What _is _this thing?!' _he wondered to himself frantically as his captor's eyes traveled up and down his little body. Antonio tried tapping against the glass, but his heart starting to sink when it simply caused pain to blossom on his knuckles if he tried any harder – this glass was extraordinarily thick.

Just as he felt the black seed of despair bloom from within him, he suddenly recalled that the monster had also captured some of his own people. Maybe he could make a bargain here – since it was apparent that he was the one who sold the most, then hopefully his people will make it out of this hopeless situation without any further harm. And so for that, Antonio was able to find himself properly stand on his legs as he cleared his throat. He then approached cautiously to the glaring, red eye that seemed to blink in amusement at his movements. "T-then let all of my people go!" Antonio proclaimed. "If _I'm_ the one who sells the most, then what are they to you? They'd be nothing, right? Just let them go, and take me instead – sell me in their stead."

The cackle that he received as a response was far from what he wanted. His jailor had reared back its head to give an all-mighty laugh that boomed around the mountains and made birds fly out from their treetops in fright. When its bellowing laugh dropped down to a snicker, it crowed, "Such noble words! Just what I expected to hear from the mouth of a prince!"

It suddenly began to shake the bottle hard, causing Antonio's whole world to spin as he yelped and tumbled over his own feet. His hands had only held onto the walls around him as the beast brought Antonio before its eyes again, "But I am also quite happy to make a little extra on the side."

"W-what?" Antonio's emerald hues widened in horror. "N-no! Please, don't do anything to them!"

"You cannot stop me," responded the creature. "No matter how much you beg, curse, scream or cry in my direction, it will not work. Simply because my own greed surpasses my empathy towards you."

"Don't do this!" Antonio desperately banged his fists on the glass as he shouted. "Just leave them alone!"

"You are powerless to do _anything _here, fairy," the creature suddenly seemed irritated as it brought the bottle up to its face again, giving a snarl that bared its teeth again. Antonio instantly squeaked as he shrank back – his young, handsome face twisted with terror as he could see his captor's nostrils begin to flare. There was what appeared to be steam billowing out from the dark holes, illuminating a frightening face with a long snout that was cascaded with scales as black as the shadows. "You may be a prince in your realm, but here, you are nothing but a pesky little pixie," it snapped its fearsome jaws harshly. "So I suggest that you _shut _your filthy little trap or else I will _truly _make your experience a highly unpleasant one."

"Y-you…" Antonio choked out as he shook again. Shaking his head, he cried out loud, "You can't do this! You can't! You won't get away!"

Giving an annoyed growl, the creature scoffed, "Maybe some time in the dark will shut you up…" and with that, the monster suddenly opened what appeared to be a sort of bag around its long body. Flipping it open, Antonio could see that there were several other fairies that were caught during the beast's hunt either banging desperately on the glass, or in a heap sobbing at their situation. He tried to look around, but he could not see his father or his cousins from where he was.

However, instead of placing his bottle inside the bag amongst the other fairies, the monster instead placed Antonio in what appeared to be a pocket. The red-winged fairy could see that there were four other pockets, however they lacked a glowing light, which indicated that they were empty.

Antonio's stomach instantly dropped upon realizing that, _'Just how many of us is this thing planning to capture?! How many kingdoms will it try to invade?' _soon, he himself was surrounded by nothing – the forest was out of view, and so was his captor.

Meanwhile, as the beast turned to go, it stopped and looked around the realm it destroyed as it could make out several glows inside the trees as well as among thorns that could only be the fairies that had escaped its clutches. Giving an echoing, bone-chilling roar that caused hair to stand on end and frightening the fairies once more, it declared, "I lurk throughout the night and am embraced by the darkness to hunt _all _of you. It is pointless to try and hide from my eyes, for your fate is sealed inside of my bottles!"

And with that, giving another roar that was soon followed by a sinister and bemused chuckle, the creature flew away into the night – engulfed by the dark shadows that the grey clouds had formed.

By the time that the clouds had moved on again, it had vanished. And so had their beloved prince.

Antonio was desperately trying to free himself from his prison. The red-winged fairy had tried barging his whole body against the glass surface in an attempt to somehow maybe break through the confined walls, but sadly the walls were _very _thick. His full strength wasn't enough, and the more he tried, the more tired he became, and the more he began to lose hope. He had also tried to lunge at the cork above him in hopes that he might find escape that way. However, though the bottle moved and bounced slightly from its spot, it slid back down again; going right back into place.

Panting, his chocolate curls started to press against his perspiring forehead, and his sun-kissed skin became flushed red due to the humidity of his glass prison. Still, it didn't deter Antonio one bit – he was determined to get out, find his family and somehow free the fairies who were captured, as well as try and confront the one who was responsible for all of this.

So for that, for now, as his wings were fluttering weakly, his own orange red glow began to falter due to himself feeling fatigued. He leaned his back against the cold wall as his body slid down to the floor as he breathed deeply – in and out, in and out.

Once he was able to rest his body for a bit and catch his breath, he would continue to try and find a way out. He wasn't sure if he was going to continue with what he was doing, but he'd be damned if he chose to surrender and do nothing. No, a flame of determination began to spark from within him – trying to burn away the despair that began to give birth as well. After a minute or two from resting, he made haste and tried again and again – thumping his whole body against the cork and the glass walls in a frantic attempt to escape.

But no crack was sighted, and it seemed no progress was being made, either. And so for that, the despair had grown a lot inside of him – trying to plague his mind into admitting defeat.

Yet still, defeat was not part of his lexicon. Antonio was passionate when he had his mind set on something, and so he tried again and again. For every second that passed by with him doing nothing but remain motionless, he knew with dread that it was a waste of time and that he would sooner come closer to a horrible fate that he did _not _want to know of.

Questions had started blossoming his mind as he resumed with his attempts. Each one whispering a warning, causing his stomach to twist and knot itself in apprehension.

Who _was _this monster that was taking him and other fairies into captivity for selling?

_What _was this monster, anyway?

What was going to happen to him once he got sold?

Who would come and buy him?

Will he be able to get out of here soon?

All sorts of questions of the sort just streamed one after another in Antonio's head as he panted – feeling himself becoming drenched with his own sweat. Wiping at his head again with his arm, he began discarding his crimson coat. He also removed the ivory cravat around his neck, and at once, felt that a large load had been literally taken off of his shoulders as he persisted again and again. He slammed his body this time on the cork above him – hoping to maybe somehow shove himself out from the pocket of the bag he was in and land somewhere else _away _from this…whatever this creature even was.

'_I need to get out of here! I _have_ to get out of here!' _he thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. _'I _must _get out of here!'_

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**Character/s:  
- Antonio [Spain] = Fairy**

**Yeah, I made Spain a fairy prince, the story actually stemmed from the whole "tomato box fairy" thing with Italy, and it just expanded to this. XD**

**But anyway, just _who _do you think was hunting down the fairies? What will happen to our poor prince in prison? Will somebody come and rescue him, or will he escape himself?**

Tune In Next Chapter:** We finally see the protagonist, Vietnam! ****  
**

**Tell me what you think so far! ;)**

**Peace out!  
- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	2. Chapter 1: Arrangement Affairs

**Hey! Back and this time, we're here to start out the story from the Prologue! :D a switch to the main protagonist and what's going on in their life. :)**

**Thank you very much to those who reviewed! That means a lot! :D**

Ayumi Kudou: **Thank you! What about it do you like? :)**

AnimeGirl: **Thank you so much! 8D I feel honoured that you've read my other stuff. :D actually, I don't read many fantasy!AU Hetalia fics myself, but I felt motivated to make this one after various inspirations and wondering what it would be like if such a world existed among the human world. ;D again, thank you so much! **

**From now on, I'll provide some warnings if I need to. For example, some chapters _will _contain descriptions of violence. Don't worry - nothing _too _brutal, but still T-rated.**

_WARNING:_  
**- Human!Fantasy!AU.  
- Nyotalia included.  
**

**Hope you enjoy~**

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"Lien, get your brother!" a youthful-looking woman impatiently bustled around in the kitchen as she hurriedly chopped a huge slab of meat on the wooden board before slamming her butcher's knife straight in it. "They're coming over! They'll be here really, really soon, aru!"

A young woman wearing a jade green _áo dài_ swept the conical straw hat from her head, revealing dark hair that was put back into a long ponytail and tied with a simple flower tie. Her golden eyes simply peered at the busy woman who sliced the meat successfully into pieces before throwing them into the steaming pot nearby. When the stove seemed unable to heat the food in a pace the woman wanted, she cursed angrily in her home tongue before _literally _puffing out a blaze of flames to ignite it. "And tell Sheng to hurry up! I could really use the extra help!"

Seeing this seemed to amuse the golden-eyed woman as the corners of her lips began to tug upwards. Nonetheless, she nodded, "Yes, _má_." And with that, she left her youthful-looking mother with her cooking as she climbed up the stairs and crossed down the hallway.

That was when she bumped into a rather tall, young man sporting a long, black _changshan _with white pants and dark shoes. He had short, dark hair with long bangs that were combed over to the side, and his golden eyes glinted behind clear glasses that had curved, square lenses. Upon contacting with her, he arched both of his thin eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, Ms Lien," he remarked. "I apologize for bumping into you just then."

Lien shook her head, "No, it's fine. Sheng, _má _needs your help in the kitchen."

The smart-looking young man simply nodded serenely, "Very well, I shall attend to madam. If you please excuse me, Miss…"

Stepping out of the way to let him shuffle on through, Lien then stopped before a wooden door with a panel that had some elegantly drawn characters carved on its surface. Beside the Asian characters, there was the name _'Leon'_ on it, as well. Knocking, the dark-haired woman only raised her voice just a tiny bit, "Leon. Leon, get up, we have to get ready for the guests."

Hearing a groan come from inside, the lady in green simply placed a hand on her hip as she gazed with a calm expression before knocking again; this time her knuckles rapped harder on the door's surface. "Leon, you know that_ má _will be furious if you don't come out and show yourself."

Another tired moan.

So for that, Lien simply raised a foot up after she moved back a bit; her long legs clad in white pants. "Leon, if you do not come out this instant, I will kick your door down, and unleash Yong Soo on you."

"Unleash me on who?" a boy popped his head out from another room as he blinked his big, brown eyes at his older sister. He grinned, "Hi, _noona_! What's up?" he came out brushing at his shirt, which seemed to have a lazy white dog with droopy black ears before a bunch of brown and white stripes consisting as the design.

She could just _feel _the presence behind that door freeze on the spot. A low voice uttered out, "You wouldn't…"

"I would," Lien replied back smoothly, her honey-gold eyes twinkling a bit despite the dead serious expression on her face.

"What would you do?" Yong Soo questioned as he tilted his head. However, upon seeing his sister motion at the door and making a slight kick forward with her foot out, the boy immediately understood – the curious curl that stuck out on the right side of his black-brown head matching his expression. Straight after, his face pulled down to a huge, maniacal grin as he cackled, "Oh, _Leon_~" he crept towards the door. "I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you, da ze!"

He began scratching on the door, his slightly long fingernails scraping sinisterly. "You will suffer a tickle attack to the gut and chest from the almighty Yong Soo once his ally the lovely, madam Lien kicks down the door, da ze!"

Instantly, there was the sound of scrambling items and a loud thump that accompanied with a little squeal of pain before the door suddenly yanked open, revealing a boy with choppy, dark brown hair that came down to his jaw. His light brown eyes glowering unamused at his two elder siblings; especially when Lien lowered her leg with a satisfied glow that crossed her honey-gold eyes. Her expression remained neutral, though. "I'm out now," he said flatly. "Happy?"

Yong Soo wrinkled his nose, "Are you on your time of month or something, Leo? You're being awfully snippy, da ze!"

Seeing his eyes dart away, Lien felt her face form down a little to a more slightly sympathetic expression as she placed a hand on her younger brother's shoulder. "Leon," her voice lowered to a more hushed tone as she tried to find the words to settle his mind at ease. In truth though, it was a difficult task; she was never really that good with words. While trying to find those right words, she ended up stating weakly, "It's only one night; I'm sure it won't be _that _bad. So, just hang in there."

"Yeah!" piped up Yong Soo – immediately backing up his sister as he placed his hands on his hips. "And it's not just you, either! I hear that _umma_'s also trying to find someone for _noona_, too!"

Lien stared at her other younger brother; usually aloof disposition now a bit shocked. "I…excuse me?" was all that she could stammer out.

Yong Soo shrugged, "She'll be looking for someone for me, too."

Feeling her mind go on a blank for a moment, Lien shook her head as she rubbed at Leon's shoulder. "Well…it seems we all have to go through it one way or another," she tried to force a smile on her face, but her lips seemed stuck in that straight line. She never really was one for smiling either, though. "So, come on – let's all suffer together," she finished lamely. She knew that what she said didn't sound comforting in the slightest, so for that, she wanted to badly slap at her head for such a poor choice of words in such a situation.

Still, Leon seemed to perfectly understand her intentions of trying to make him feel better. And that was why a small smile had spread on his usually nonchalant face. He nodded in her direction, "I know what you're trying to say, _jiĕjie_. Thank you." He stepped out of his room before placing his hands in the bright red pockets of his black hoodie, "I'll go downstairs now."

Yong Soo opened his mouth, however a buzz emanated from his jeans. Yanking out his phone, he squinted down at his message before gasping, "Oh, yeah!" he then dialed a number, and yammered away, "Sorry! I forgot about that, da ze! Don't worry, I'll help out right now! Just hold on, I'll go to my room first and find it-"

"Are you going somewhere tonight?" inquired Lien, arching an eyebrow.

Yong Soo shook his head, "No, but a friend's gonna stop by to drop something off. I need to find something first, so I might not come down for a bit. Can you cover for me, _noona_?"

"You do know that she'll be angry at this…"

"_Please_!" the pleading expression coupled along with that _huge _pair of puppy dog eyes and his lip jutting out, Yong Soo clasped his hands together and raised them above his head. "I'll make it up to you somehow in future, da ze! An I owe you!"

Lien blinked before looking away; she _hated _it whenever he made that expression. He would keep whining at her until she finally submitted; a few times when it was a _firm _no, she would use her paddle in such situations to get him to stop from his conduct. However, here…he was only waiting for someone, and he wasn't going anywhere, so…

Plus, she still had to make a new paddle due to the poor thing snapping like a twig during her daily workout session after months of wear and tear.

She shrugged a shoulder half-heartedly before grumbling, "Fine. You owe me."

"I definitely owe you, _noona_! _G__omawo_!" he practically _leapt _on her tense form before sprinting over to his room. He promptly tripped over his own feet and almost fell face flat had it not been for him regaining his balance at the last second. He finally fled to his room; instantly slamming the door shut behind him.

Lien could only stare at it in question before heaving a sigh – what on earth was Yong Soo even doing there, and what was he expecting? _'On second thought…I do _not _want to know_,' she thought to herself before going downstairs again to see Leon wait for her at the bottom.

"There you are!" their mother was hurriedly adjusting that hat on her head before propping at her hair which consisted of two buns. The kitchen bench now had a lovely roast as well as a huge wok that was filled with stir-fry. The fumes wafting up beautifully and tickling her children's nostrils.

Leon inhaled deeply as he detected a particular aroma that made his mouth water slightly, "I smell swallow…"

"I know," their mother beamed wearily before stirring another concoction.

"Your favourite," noted Lien as she rubbed her chin.

"It's Mei's favourite, too, aru," added their mother as she continued to add some more salt.

Leon's peaceful expression immediately pulled down to a peeved scowl. His slightly bushy eyebrows knotting down, clearly unimpressed. Sheng, who had been wiping the table, came over and patted the boy's back in a sympathetic manner.

Hearing a huge gust of wind blast from outside, their mother gasped, "They're here! Lien, go get the door! Sheng, hurry up with the cleaning! And Leon, come here." She immediately yanked the boy to her side and tutted as she began combing her fingers at his bangs, "_Ai ya_,your hair is so messy, aru! It's so unsightly! You'll look like a mess right in front of our guests!"

"_Mámá_," Leon's nose twitched as he swatted his mother's fingers. "Stop. Stop that."

When she opened the door, Lien saw three magnificent beasts outside in the courtyard.

All of them with long bodies that twisted around every so often and scales that glistened gorgeously underneath the moon's radiant glow. The one at the centre was the largest and bore golden scales with black spines and deep amber eyes much like a hare's. The black spines of the beast were long and practically appeared to be hair almost. Its underbelly resembled that of a skin's typical colour, and its claws were the sharpest. The horns were thin at the base of the head, but thicker and stronger outwardly compared to the other two. The one at its right appeared more feminine with pastel pink scales that appeared almost white, as well as black spines just like the large one in the middle. It also had what appeared to be a golden flower hairpin atop one of the bull-like ears. The third had scales of a mix between gold and a sort of cream. It also had a nicely groomed spiny mane, and big, bright eyes and had what appeared to be a tiny brown hat with a red ribbon perched atop its mighty head.

Lien knew immediately what they were, and she was totally unfazed.

_Dragons_.

Suddenly, the two smaller dragons at the side began to transform – the long bodies shrinking, and the scales and spines melting together until skin, hair and clothing were formed. In their stead, there were two young ladies – one wearing traditional garments of pastel pink and violet. Her jet-black hair cut to a short bob-cut, and her light brown eyes consisting that of serene pools as the golden hairpin glinted softly in the night. The other girl had a sheet of brown hair that floated behind her delicate frame. Her hat was now much larger than it looked in her previous form, and her big chestnut eyes twinkled a bit.

Both girls looked up at the crimson dragon, who gave a nod – giving permission. Then, upon that, the girls instantly came over. "Lien!" the hat-wearing girl beamed warmly as she came to embrace the older female; an extremely dangly curl bouncing upon her sprightly movements. "Hi!"

Lien simply dipped her head in respect, "Hello, Mei."

The girl with the hairpin bowed her head as she greeted, "_Konbanwa_, Lien-san."

"Good evening to you, too, Sakura," murmured Lien as she bowed her head.

The golden dragon then peered down from its spot right at the green-clad lady. "Good evening, Lien," it greeted in a deep, rumbling tone. The reverb shuddering its voice practically shaking the trees around it. Its jaws jutting out a bit, it didn't take Lien long at all to realize that the dragon was smiling at her.

Lien bowed in respect, "Good evening to you, too, Mr Wang."

Suddenly, as the red dragon took large steps forward with its mighty paws, its form began to shrink down – the scarlet scales melting together to form garments while the underbelly spread out to form skin. The spines instantly joined before flying upwards to form hair – the spines in particular at the tail now a ponytail.

Soon, by the time the last visitor reached the door, Lien found a rather youthful looking man with warm, amber eyes and wearing a gold, silk _changpao_ still smiling, albeit he looked much friendlier in present. "How is your mother?" he questioned jovially.

"She is well," responded Lien politely.

Coming inside, her mother instantly greeted the man, both immediately speaking rapidly in their shared home tongue. Leon himself did _not _look at all happy in his present situation as he stood awkwardly near one of the paintings while Mei and Sakura stood a good distance away from him, and near the fireplace. Mei was shuffling her foot while Sakura seemed to find the floor more interesting. Lien chose to stand beside her brother so that he wasn't so lonely.

"Leon, you've grown!" Mr Wang smiled. "You've become quite handsome, aru!"

Leon felt his ears explode from heat. So, for that, he straightened his posture and gave a nod in the elderly man's direction. "T-thanks…" he was able to mumble out.

"Mei is really pretty, too!" their mother smiled widely. "So lovely! And Sakura! She's blooming beautifully!"

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_," Sakura flushed pink, though she looked rather pleased with the compliment. Mei also looked happy to receive one, too.

"And Lien," Mr Wang beamed. "No doubt; many a dragon must have wanted to seek your hand by now, is that not right, Chun-Yan?"

Lien flushed furiously at Mr Wang's compliment, her whole form growing rigid; she was never good with compliments that attributed to her appearance. Seeing this, her mother, Chun-Yan, gave a nervous laugh, "My daughter will hopefully wed a good and honourable dragon someday!"

Dinner was a rather awkward affair, at least for the four youngsters. While Sheng served them with the food, the elders were chatting away like old friends that were walking down a nostalgic memory lane. Lien and Leon sat on one side beside each other, while Mei and Sakura sat on the other – facing them. Chun-Yan sat at one end of the table, while Mr Wang sat at the other. Lien sank her teeth into some of the swallow before noticing that her brother was poking at his food with his chopsticks, looking totally disinterested with the conversation that Mei was trying to place up on prompting by her father. Sakura just awkwardly sat there and seemed to notice that there was some sort of significance with the empty chair closest to Chun-Yan and on Lien's left, for Chun-Yan then leaned over slightly and whispered urgently, "Where is your brother? Where is Yong Soo?"

Lien responded quickly, "He'll arrive soon. Don't worry, _má_."

After dinner, they all sat around the lounge while Sheng served them some green tea and various sweets. Still, Lien felt awkward, which she hid behind her serious expression – Chun-Yan insisted that she sit by her side so that her brother and Mei could sit together in private. Mr Wang also encouraged Sakura to sit by his side, too. Leon himself didn't look at all happy when Lien was forcefully moved away from him, and when Mei was talking beside him, it was something he really didn't deem important at all. Sakura shuffled again in her spot, her hands clasped in her lap while her father and Chun-Yan continued to converse with each other. Lien pitied that vulnerable expression on the other girl's face, _'It _is _really awkward for the both of us.'_

"More, tea, Miss?" Sheng questioned kindly as he offered Mei.

The girl's eyes widened a bit before she nodded with a smile, "Sure! Thank you."

Sheng simply flashed a small, secretive smile back as he carefully poured out the warm brew in the cup. When nobody seemed to be looking, much to Lien's amazement, he winked at her before hurrying out of the living room. Mei had covered her mouth with one hand to try and conceal her chuckle. She then nudged Leon and questioned, "Who was that?"

"That's Sheng," the boy responded. "He's our butler."

"He's really sweet!"

Leon arched an eyebrow in her direction, however he gave a nod; eyes glowing a bit fondly in the direction that Sheng had left from. "Yeah, he is very benevolent," he agreed.

"Reminds me, you have _three _children, Chun-Yan," remarked Mr Wang as he raised his eyebrows. "Where is your second? Yong Soo?"

Chun-Yan was about to say something when Sheng came back inside with some more of the pastries on the tray he was carrying, however that was when much to everyone's shock, there was a loud blast that echoed throughout the house; practically rattling its entire frame, accompanied by a shriek.

Next, mixtures of grey and black smoke suddenly billowed down the staircase before Yong Soo tumbled down in a huge heap, giving yelps of pain before landing right on his rear end. He flinched before perking up, "Wait!"

Too late, another earth-shaking blast rattled the very earth. Lien immediately leaned her head forward slightly and grabbed the poker to the fireplace – preparing herself. Mr Wang himself took his hands out of his sleeves, and Sakura suddenly yanked out what appeared to be some sort of oriental knife. Sheng simply stood before both Leon and Mei after setting his tray down.

The next thing that happened was something that Lien wouldn't able to forget – it was certainly an event that would make a great story for friends and children when the time came.

Something green hopped down from the stairs and right onto Yong Soo's knee. Its chin bloated out as it gave a croak before blinking up at him. Next, it hopped off his knee right on the table, causing everyone but Lien and Sheng to flinch slightly. It tilted its head before giving another croak.

Blinking down, Lien tilted her own head.

"A frog?" Sheng arched both of his elegant eyebrows.

Before Lien knew it, one frog became a few…then it became several…then it became many…

…and the next thing she knew, a whole _tidal wave _of the little tropical green, croaking creatures were hopping, bouncing and leaping around the entire house.

Chun-Yan had shrieked angrily, and Leon himself didn't appear at all happy with the frogs leaping on him as he kicked out upon reflex when one landed right at his foot, which caused him to accidentally break a vase. Sheng tried to grab some while Mr Wang swatted them with his arm. Sakura squeaked when one hopped right at her face, and practically jumped at bumped one of the lights, causing it to smash against the painted red wall. Thinking quickly, Lien grabbed a wooden crate from inside the pantry that was used to store vegetables that were bought from the market, and ordered Sheng to throw them in.

Sheng didn't need to be told twice – he obeyed without question and Yong Soo followed. Mei and Leon, too, were trying to help out, though Sakura seemed highly reluctant to touch the little creatures. Chun-Yan and Mr Wang helped at first, but stopped a bit afterwards upon seeing that the youngsters were working together very well without having to use brute force or sheer firepower.

Soon one crate was filled up, and so another was pulled in to store the tiny amphibians. And soon, another was filled up. And another. And another.

By the time they were done with containing all of the little creatures, about seven crates were completely filled with them. Lien quickly grew out one of her nails to a curved claw to puncture a few holes at the top so they could breathe. Hearing the frightened squeak, the golden-eyed lady turned around to see that there was one on Sakura's shoulder, and she didn't seem to like it on her _at all_.

"They won't hurt you, da ze!" Yong Soo beamed reassuringly as he came forward and grabbed it in both his hands. He raised it up to Sakura's face, "See? He's friendly!"

Sakura shuddered as she covered her face. Still, peeking between her fingers, she looked up to see the friendly smile encouragingly coax her to bring her hand out. The frog simply stared at her in a rather lazy manner as her fingertips stroked at its head.

And soon, she found herself covering at her pink lips, giving a small and soft chuckle as the frog croaked. Yong Soo's own grin spread out, "See? He's not bad at all!" seeing her pet the little guy made him tilt his head however as he blinked.

"Y-yes?" Sakura asked nervously, feeling self-conscious at the taller boy staring down at her. "What is it?"

"You're really pretty…"

Sakura either did not seem to have heard him, or was incredulous at what he said. However, before she or anyone else could break in, Chun-Yan yanked at his ear, causing him to yelp and cry in pain as he released the frog. Leon quickly grabbed it and threw it in one of the crates before Sheng shut it.

"Yong Soo!" seethed the woman as steam practically flared out from her nostrils. "What have you done, aru?!"

"Ow, ow! I was only helping out a friend, _umma_!" the curl-haired boy shrieked as he flailed his arms around. "His frog spell went awry, da ze!"

"I apologize for my son's conduct, Yao," Chun-Yan said apologetically in Mr Wang's direction, her angered expression pulled down to a remorseful one as she faced the man.

Mr Wang simply shook his head; his face somewhat void of any expression. "It's fine, aru," he waved a hand dismissively. "Next time may be better. We shall take our leave. Sakura, Mei, come now, aru. Say goodbye before we leave." He motioned to his daughters to follow him before bowing respectfully in Chun-Yan's direction. Sakura quickly thanked Chun-Yan for her hospitality and said a swift goodbye before following her father without question while Mei hugged Lien, "Later, Lien!" she waved at Yong Soo, "Bye, Yong Soo!" Turning to Leon, though, she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. However, upon seeing her father give a slight nod in her direction, she licked her lips, "Um…goodbye."

Leon simply gave a small nod, "Bye."

Hearing another powerful gust of wind along with a snarl of departure that ripped the air, Chun-Yan waved at the three dragons that billowed along with the wind while still holding onto Yong Soo's ear. Sheng was already starting to gather a broom to dutifully clean up the mess that was created by the frog's hullabaloo. By the time that the three guests had gone, Chun-Yan slammed the door shut so hard, that a few cracks formed from around the edges.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" she demanded furiously in Yong Soo's direction before throwing him at one of the white, leather couches. "What was going through your thick skull, aru?!"

"I was only helping a friend, _umma_!" Yong Soo spoke up, starting to quake in his shoes at how demonic his mother looked at the moment. "He needed help with a spell, and it went awry, da ze!"

"Can't you have done it on some other night?!" Chun-Yan roared, her eyes now shrunk to thin pupils as the irises glowed madly. "Tonight of all nights! What the hell were you even _thinking_?! Were you even thinking at all, aru?!"

"_Mámá_," Leon spoke up, his arms folded over his chest. "May I be excused?"

"Yes, you may," she said impatiently, waving her arm dismissively. "Just go, aru."

Leon seemed much less stone-faced and sternly silent than before – Lien could clearly see that his brown eyes were actually twinkling. However, before he left the room, he craned his head, "Don't go too hard on Yong Soo, _mámá_. He just wanted to help a friend – that's important, too, right?" and with that, he left, but not before giving a wink in Yong Soo and Lien's direction.

Chun-Yan gave an exasperated sigh as she pinched between her eyebrows. Opening her eyes, the pupils and irises shrank back to normal. "Look, I admire that you want to help your friends, Yong Soo – it is a good thing to shed kindness onto them, but tonight is a special night, too! I _shudder _to think what is going through Mr Wang's mind right now, aru…"

Lien felt her heart twinge a bit upon seeing Yong Soo bow his head in shame. You could easily tell how horrible the boy must've felt upon seeing his mother look so stressed and downtrodden. "_Jwesonghamnida_, _umma_," he murmured softly, clasping his hands together at his front as he sat up properly. "I'm really sorry. I'll go and apologize to Mr Wang myself tomorrow."

Chun-Yan however softened upon seeing how genuinely sorry her eldest son looked and how hurt he was becoming from her temper coming out. So, to that, she leaned down slightly, hands on her knees. "Yong Soo," she said solemnly. "Can't you seriously have done that on another night? If not, then fine – tonight is just a one-time event only, aru. I can understand your eagerness to help others, but also know that _family_ affairs are your top priority. Do not commit such conduct again, next time. Do you understand, aru?"

Yong Soo seemed to be really happy with his mother's forgiveness, for he nodded and gave a weak smile, "_Ye_, _umma_." He placed a fist over his heart, "I promise, da ze!"

"Good."

Just when things seemed fine and dandy, Lien could hear another familiar whoosh as well as the tree's leaves rustling along with the flapping of wings of many birds. Another huge gust of wind whistled before Sheng perked his own head up.

"Sheng," Chun-Yan spoke up. "Check to see what that was, aru."

"Yes, madam."

By the time Sheng returned, he responded very evenly, "Leon is not in his room, nor the bathroom. And his window is wide open."

Chun-Yan gave an exasperated groan as she rubbed her temples, now looking more frustrated than before, "Just where on earth would he want to go? And at _this_ hour, too, aru?"

Lien looked up at the clock herself to see that it read clearly eleven-thirty with its hands' postures on the clear face.

"I'll go and look for Leon, da ze!" Yong Soo piped up as he leapt up from his place on the couch. He almost ran out of the door, had it not been for Chun-Yan pinching his ear again, causing him to yelp in pain.

"No, you will not!" hissed Chun-Yan at her eldest son. "You are staying here to help Sheng clean up this mess that you created as well as help him with the dishes, aru! I will have a stern word with that friend of yours myself." The mother then faced her only daughter instead; her tone became much less stern, and more worried, "Lien, could you please go and find where your brother is going, and bring him home, aru?"

The worry was understandable; Lien herself was perplexed as to _where _her younger brother would go at such a nightly hour. So for that, she nodded, "Yes, _má_."

Seeing her mother nod, Lien's honey-gold eyes glowed as she pushed the door open and ran out onto the courtyard – her eyes now blazing with an excited flame before her run formed into a sprint. By the time she leapt up as high as she could into the air, there was no longer a young woman clad in traditional green garments with a swaying ponytail that would've flew and fluttered around with the night's cold breeze.

Instead, a jade dragon with dark spines flew into the night – its long, scaly body twisting and shimmering along the wind as its honey-gold eyes simply let off a great spark.

* * *

**Character/s:  
- Lien [Vietnam] = Jade ****Thanh Long** Dragon  
- Yong Soo [South Korea] = Blue Four-Toed Mang Dragon  
- Leon [Hong Kong] = Red Ying Lung Dragon  
- Sheng [Macau] = Dark Green **Qinglong** Dragon  
- Chun-Yan [Nyo!China] = Black Shen Lung Dragon  
- Mei [Taiwan] = Golden Ying Lung Dragon  
- Sakura [Nyo!Japan] = Lunar Fuku Ryū Dragon  
- Mr Wang Yao [China] = Golden Tien Lung Dragon

**I am aware that I made up a number of things while trying to designate dragon species onto the characters, but well, I found that there weren't really enough species, so I decided to go along with making several types. Each dragon is known by their colour and position. :) the reason why I've placed "dragon" after their designated species, is because there will be Eastern and Western dragons - we're going to see more of the Eastern side, since in culture, Eastern countries praise dragons as benevolent beings while the West demonizes them. owo'**

**Translation/s:  
- _má [Vietnamese] = _mom  
- _noona [Korean] = _big sister (only males can use this term)  
- _umma __[Korean] = _mom (informal)  
- _jiĕjie [Cantonese] = _big sister  
- _G__omawo [Korean] = _thank you (simplest and most casual way of saying so. Only use with those who won't be offended by informality such as close siblings, young children and best friends)  
- _Mámá [Cantonese] = _mom  
- _Konbanwa [Japanese] _= Good evening.  
- _Arigatou gozaimasu [Japanese] _= Thank you (formal)  
- _Jwesonghamnida_, _umma [Korean] = _I'm sorry, mom.  
- _Ye_, _umma [Korean] _= Yes, mom.**

**There actually is a reason why Lien, Yong Soo and Leon address in Vietnamese, Korean and Cantonese respectively to each other and their mother, but that won't be touched upon just yet. Also, if I'm wrong with any of the translations - don't hesitate to tell me. TT7TT**

**Anyway, just where did Leon go? Will Lien find him? Will there be an arranged marriage in Leon's future?  
**

Tune in Next Chapter: **Our dragon protagonist stumbles upon something...small among pieces of glass...****  
**

**Peace out!  
- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	3. Chapter 2: Shattered Fragments

**I'll keep it short because it's like 5 A.M. in the morning where I am. XD basically, now Leon has flown off, Lien must go look for her little brother. However, she finds something else...**

**Happy reading~**

* * *

It was a good thing that upon hours _this _late in the dead of night, nobody tended to come outside and wander around. Rather, they just stayed indoors and were either still up commencing with their own little business, in the city of looking for a good time, or were sound asleep in bed.

It truly was a good thing no people came out at this time at this part of the woods…

…for if they did, they would most likely find themselves under the shadow of a huge dragon.

Leon's scarlet scales were glistening like polished rubies underneath the moon's radiant glow, the dark spines were tilted back as the magnificent beast's body shimmered like a red river along the quiet air. His breathing was soft and silent – he didn't want anyone to come out and discover upon him. For even though he was flying above more secluded parts where no human would dare to come into, there _were _a few stragglers and hitch-hikers: lost tourists or humans who simply lost their way while going to the city from the little town.

'_If someone sees me out here tonight, mámá will be, like, furious,' _the red dragon thought to himself; his brown eyes narrowing as his long whiskers were floating majestically behind his lumbering figure. His claws were neatly tucked in as he continued forward into the cool night – enjoying the breeze that picked up and caressed his body. _'I really needed to get out of there; I didn't want to stay there…'_

He truly _did _feel tense and irritated throughout the whole thing; he hated how he was just thrust into this whole affair; he never wanted to be married, he never asked to be arranged with a girl he wasn't interested in, or that was a complete stranger. He also found it highly unfair that his brother and sister would have to go through the same thing he did just that very night.

However, that though he knew that it most certainly wasn't fair to him, to blame Mr Wang or his daughters for that was unfair itself. It also wasn't that fair to blame his mother, either, though he was quite annoyed with how he was practically threw into Mei's direction. After all, his mother just wanted him to have a good and secure future with a lovely mate to have children with.

However, that was just the very thing.

Leon didn't care much for having children in the later stages of his life – he honestly couldn't handle the little creatures, and it made him wonder just _how _much his big sister, Lien had endured when he was a toddler running around with endless energy and causing mayhem with his newly acquired fire breathing. He had to give her credit – despite how cool and calm he looked, as well as how mellow and relaxed he truly was behind that seemingly emotionless exterior, Leon was never really that good with kids. He found himself running out of energy around the boundless bundles, and though he didn't mind looking after them, he just didn't want to _have _them.

He honestly wasn't sure if he would decide later on if he would want them, but for now, his mind was firmly set.

Children were not a part of his future.

'_Mámá will kill me for sure if she found that out,'_ he thought to himself as his eyes were now practically slits. It would definitely be a difficult feat to tell his mother that; not only would she get furious with him, but he also knew that she would get heartbroken upon learning that he wouldn't bear her any grandchildren.

The, the woman would most likely blame herself for her son's behaviour and chastise herself for her bad parenting.

'_It's not you, mámá, it's me.'_

So distracted by his thoughts, Leon didn't realize that he wasn't the only one flying that night.

No, when he continued forward, he was so wrapped up with all of his thoughts upon how his mother would react to finding out that he was far from interested with the arranged marriage that was set up for him, as well as not wanting to have children at all in his future, that he hadn't realized another dragon was there flying that night.

Because he hadn't expected to find someone else out here and bump into them, Leon was flying at a rather quick yet lucid pace, and so, when he collided with the other dragon, both were understandably winded out and blew back slightly.

Though when Leon shook his great head to compose himself, gazing at the other dragon, one wouldn't blame him at all for bumping it in the first place.

For one thing, the other dragon's scales were ink black – so it melted away to camouflage nicely in the shadows of the night. Even its spines were black as well, though Leon could also see what appeared to be a satchel that was around its long body. Judging by how muscled its arms were, and how its body was longer than his own, Leon could safely assume that the dragon before him was older than he was, though it didn't appear as old as his mother or Mr Wang.

"I beg your pardon," Leon apologized in a rumbling voice.

The black dragon had piercing blood red eyes that glowered at him with an unamused glare. It gave a low snarl in Leon's direction; baring sharpened fangs as it slowly flew around him, though its claws were kept to itself. "Watch your pace next time, boy," it snarled before turning its head back into the direction it was facing previously, and flew away, albeit in a more hurried pace this time.

Leon blinked before flicking his tail, annoyed, _'That was very rude.'_

Still, it didn't stop him from flying forward towards his destination; in fact, it made him all the more determined to reach it.

He didn't want to know if there were any other kinds of dangerous looking creatures that were out and about that night. Sure the black dragon didn't attack him, but it certainly _looked _threatening and would most likely go at his throat if a misunderstanding had been placed, or if it wanted to amuse itself in a needless bloodshed.

'_I'm almost there,'_ the scarlet dragon thought to himself as he twisted and untwisted his body to loosen the tense muscle he felt upon colliding with that older beast. "I'm almost there…" he murmured to himself in a low grumble.

* * *

Lien was flying around in a swift speed as her body wavered like a river's bank – her jade scales glowing marvellously in the night's light. Her honey-gold eyes were burning obstinately as she turned her head to look around for her missing brother.

'_Where could he have gone to?' _she wondered to herself as a scowl creased onto her face. _'What could be so important for him that he would have to go out at this hour?' _all sorts of questions as such popped into her head as she continued her search for Leon. _'Maybe he just wanted to go out for a little night flight by himself? Maybe he went off to find some swallow or fish for him to chew on before bed…'_

And soon, the questions began to replace themselves with scenarios.

First, it was her brother finding another dragon – though whether it be an East or West class one, either way, her blood ran cold upon the thought of a rogue dragon just picking a fight with her little brother, and sinking its teeth down in his scarlet neck as he roared in pain and agony – blood splattering against his scales, but unable to be seen due to matching with the colour.

Another possible scenario was that some straggling human might be out at night. Lien certainly hoped it wouldn't be a poacher or hunter – those were the worst kinds of human in her opinion. She hated how they carried guns around; they were noisy and had a disgusting smell to them. She also hated how most of them just shot things upon impulse – giving no care to nature whatsoever.

The final worst case scenario was that Leon wasn't in his dragon form, and was instead in his human one, and trouble just so happened to find him along the way. Of course, the human form of all dragons was significantly weaker than that of the dragon one, so it made Lien feel nervous upon how their mother would react to everything.

'_Leon, where _are _you?' _she thought to herself, now becoming a bit tired of searching around for him. She had gone through clouds, scoped the skies, and was close to inspecting the forest below, prompting her to turn her great head down to look, as her golden eyes glowed – scanning down the trees thoroughly.

However, something caught her eye when she gazed down at the forest below.

A faint, orange red glow of light.

It wasn't her brother; dragons didn't glow unless they were fully charged up for attack. And even so, they never emitted a glow that was _this _puny and weak, either.

She almost flew on past since maybe it was a false alarm or something unimportant. However, she found her pace slowing upon flying straight over the source of small, red light, and her gaze darted back and forth to it and the direction forward. Her curiosity was getting captured by this, and she began to wonder just _what _it was.

So, for that, giving a roll of her eyes, she carefully flew down towards the source of light; her body rippling along and twisting once before settling a good distance away from it. Her large claws rooted in the ground, her whiskers flew up as they floated behind her as she lowered her head. Baring her sharp teeth, she cautiously came closer and closer…

…and was found by what appeared to be pieces of glass near a polished rock.

'_What on earth…?!'_

No longer as cautious, Lien lifted her large figure slightly and came forward as the orange-red light continued to pulse like a heartbeat. Coming closer with her gigantic figure looming down at what it was, she was stunned in what her eyes caught sight of.

The fragments of glass seemed to have once constructed a glass bottle, and amongst its pieces was a fairy.

A fairy with beautiful scarlet wings with gold tips and a white dot at the bottom. He had tanned skin, mocha-coloured hair with a little golden crown that was lying a little away from him, and he was also clad in rather exuberant little clothes that consisted of the colours red, gold and brown. He appeared in a rather poor state as he was lying on his back, breathing heavily, his clothes were quite torn, and there was a cut on his cheek.

'_Most likely from the glass,'_ the jade dragon thought to herself as she tilted her head and craned her neck even more to try and look eye level with the fairy.

However, upon the very instant that his beautiful emerald eyes fluttered open and caught sight of Lien, he whimpered as he trembled upon the very sight of her.

Of course, Lien couldn't help but feel so bad for the poor thing; not only did he look so helpless, but he appeared quite hurt, too. And badly. However, she wasn't aware of _how _bad the damage was. It was probably her nurturing instincts that came kicking out from underneath her usually aloof and cold exterior, but she knew that she couldn't just leave the fairy out here in that state.

There were all kinds of creatures that could finish one off in no time flat.

"_S-señor dragón_, please don't eat me!" he begged.

Tilting her head, Lien could detect that there was some sort of accent traced on his voice. From how he used the word '_señor'_, though, it was safe to assume that the fairy had come from Spain or possibly a similar country. It suited him quite well – it was exotic sounding, and if not for the terrified tone, it most likely would've sounded like akin to that of a cat's purr. Giving a tutting hiss, she lowered her head close to him, making him give a little frightened squeak. "I am not a male, I am female," Lien spoke matter-of-factly. However, her expression softened a bit upon him shaking. "But do not worry – things will be alright."

"N-no, it's not!" the fairy cried. "You're going to eat me!"

"I will not," Lien responded, a bit annoyed. "I do not eat fairies. I would much rather have a swallow than you – you're far too small for me, anyway. It wouldn't be filling at all."

Suddenly, with the gust of cold air that quickly formed from the once cool and playful breeze, as well as the grey clouds rolling in, Lien sniffed and from the smell, knew that it was about to rain soon. And the one drop that had dripped from above soon became several as more beat down upon both of their figures. The smell became stronger – signifying that a storm would let loose tonight.

Definitely not a good sign; the poor fairy would die out here.

So for that, her tail carefully slithered over and brushed away any of the glass that was on or near his body and settled it underneath him. He was able to quickly grab his crown before she brought one great paw forward to place him in her scaly palm. Her tail quickly settled above his head so that the rain wouldn't touch him.

"W-what are you doing?" the scarlet-winged fairy questioned, obviously scared stiff.

"Shielding you from the rain," responded Lien tonelessly. "What does it look like?" however, again seeing him tremble in her palm, the jade dragon cleared her throat, "My name is Lien. What is yours?"

"A-Antonio…" he was able to splutter out.

Sniffing the air a bit more, the dragon however felt her nostrils itch as the pines tickled her there. Soon, giving an inhale, she gave a mighty sneeze that just about shook the whole forest and frightened dozens of birds from their treetops. Antonio himself had leapt back in her palm – hitting her elongated claws before giving a loud yelp of pain. It was then that Lien realized that there seemed to be something wrong with one of the fairy's lovely little wings, as well as his leg.

"Your left wing and your right leg," she murmured. "What happened to the both of them?"

"They're broken!" he cried.

She felt even worse for him; no wonder he was so scared. If she was correct, the glass appeared to be fragments from a bottle; so was he stuck in there? If so, then who put him in there? It would be like a sort of glass prison for him. Also, he must've fallen from a great height to have the bottle smashed into pieces, which sadly resulted in him being amongst the pieces, thus hurting him. Also, the glass had torn one of his beautiful wings as well as the force of impact of crashing from a great distance above breaking his leg: escape wouldn't have been an option.

Hearing him give a sniff, she really wasn't that surprised to see him begin to sob in her palm; burying his face in his hands as his whole figure quaked and wracked with his weeping. "Don't cry, Antonio," she spoke quietly. "I won't hurt you."

"You…you won't?"

"I'm an _Eastern _dragon," remarked Lien, feeling proud of her heritage. "We are creatures who protect and who most certainly wouldn't prey on fellow magical creatures such as yourself. If you were thinking of what dragon would eat you, you are looking at our Western counterparts. And even so, if I _was _a Western dragon, I wouldn't eat you; it…it just wouldn't be fair. You have no way of defending yourself."

Antonio looked up, clearly confused and still frightened, however there with how his green eyes shone, he appeared quite grateful. "So…what are you going to do to me?" he questioned.

"Help you until you get better enough to fly again."

He gave a little sniffle and started shivering, though it appeared to be more from the cold rather than from out of fear this time. The rain continued its course, and though it didn't affect Lien at all, with Antonio it was another story. The poor fairy tried to curl up a bit more, but no matter what he tried, he just felt colder and colder.

"_S-Señorita _Lien," he breathed. "I'm cold…"

"I know, Antonio," Lien grumbled in response. "Just hold on; I'll bring you somewhere warm."

Before Antonio could say another word, the dragon this time held him securely in its claws before launching up from the ground. The red-winged fairy gave a loud squeal as he held tightly onto one of the claws – his heart rapidly beating in his chest as Lien shot through the night sky like a jade bullet. She didn't flinch at all when the lightning came and blasted right behind her a few times.

No, she simply flew around it and kept going.

Nothing seemed to bother her.

And that was why he could only look at her in amazement; such a strong and refined creature. She wasn't afraid to face anything, and that flame of determination that danced in her golden orbs burned straight ahead. So feeling more secure despite how bumpy it was in his spot, Antonio simply held on and relaxed his body a bit more, giving a little sigh as he began to suddenly feel tired – his body becoming a weight.

Sleep sounded good, but he was still unsure if it was safe to trust her so quickly. He wanted to, he really did, but still; his father had told him to be careful just in case.

As for Lien herself, she knew that home was still quite a while away, however she was flying at a speed faster than how she would usually go on a typical night. She knew that her mother would get angry that she wasn't able to find Leon, and instead she found a fairy that needed tending.

However, she knew the perfect excuse was to just say that she couldn't find Leon anywhere, which would make them all assume that he had taken his human form and was wandering around in the city or someplace else. And as for Antonio, Lien knew that her mother didn't like it when there were creatures besides dragons in the house, so for that, for now, she would have to keep Antonio hidden away from her. If her mother found out about Antonio, she would most likely just send him away and scold Lien for not placing family above all others.

'_Leon, I don't know _where _the hell you are, but you better be safe and sound.'_

* * *

Leon cursed to himself with seething teeth upon the rain pouring down from above – he hadn't expected it to be _this_ heavy. However, licking his lips as he shielded what was in his hands, he gazed up at the lovely house before him from behind the tree that he was hiding.

The light was still dimly lit from a lamp, signalling that somebody was still inside.

Seeing a silhouette of a young man, he hid behind the tree again before peeking. Upon catching sight of that familiar figure again, the young dragon felt his heart flutter upon seeing the figure then pick up a book and flick a page open – reading interestedly at the contents.

'_What kind of book are you reading for tonight this time? What is the story about? Is it any good?' _all sorts of questions among those lines popped up into Leon's mind as he licked his lips. Glancing down at the little gift that was in his hands before taking a few steps towards the yellow-bricked house.

Walking upon the steps carefully so they would not creak, he felt his stomach turn around nervously while his heart was beating faster and faster in his chest. He was almost there – he was actually just a step or two from the wooden door that separated him from inside. He always wanted to know what it was like inside and to see the figure who lived in here face-to-face instead of just watching from afar, but for some reason, Leon found it the most difficult thing for him to do.

Raising a fist, he hesitated as he swallowed the lump in his throat – gazing right at the door in front of him.

After a little debate in his mind, he glanced down at the gift in his hands again before bringing his knuckles forward – rapping his knuckles against the door's surface to create a loud knock that echoed the tense and once silent atmosphere.

"I'm coming."

The door had opened, and a young, blonde man wearing glasses over a pair of curious violet eyes looked around. He was shocked to see that there was nobody in sight. Scowling in annoyance, however when he looked down, his eyes widened upon seeing a little gift that was left on his mat. Smiling, he gently picked the two articles up.

A panda plushie and a red rose. There was a red ribbon tied around the panda's neck, and a white ribbon with a little noted message written on it was on the rose.

'_**To Matthew. I hope you like them. Don't worry, I'm not a creepy stalker. L.'**_

"Matthew, shouldn't you be sleeping, _me petite_?" a woman with a French accent questioned as she saw her son at the doorway. "What on earth are you still doing up this late?" however, upon seeing the gifts in her son's hands, a knowing smile crossed her face. "Ahhh~ I see."

The young man, Matthew, nodded, "_Oui_, mama. Don't worry, I'm coming in soon, anyway."

The door shut softly.

A cue for Leon to peek from his hiding spot behind the tree. From the window, he saw the bespectacled blonde, Matthew, place the panda plushie right next to a plushie of a white bear. He also saw him take an empty vase, fill it up, and place the rose in it. _Then_, he went to bed, read a few more things in the book, placed it on the nightstand beside his bed, removed his glasses and also placed them on the nightstand, then turn off the light; prompting him to finally get some sleep.

Leon simply watched, his brown eyes glazed slightly as he blinked in the direction of the young man. He wanted to possibly take a look through the window at his sleeping face, however he knew that it would be considered _too _creepy, and the last thing he wanted was to be seen as such by the blonde. Also, if he came out to take a look, somebody might see him.

So for that instead, giving a melancholic sigh, Leon mumbled quietly, "Goodnight, Matthew. Sweet dreams…" before he leapt out of the tree and instantly shed his human skin for his dragon one.

* * *

**I deeply apologize if you're a HongTai shipper, but the story won't have HongTai. Yes, Hong Kong is crushing on Canada - I honestly love this couple quite a lot. :)**

**Either way, see you guys in the next chapter! I need to catch some Z's. TT7TT**

Tune In Next Chapter: **Lien the dragon tries to help Antonio the fairy.**

**Peace out!  
Hebi-Kazechi-10**


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